(Note: the Newsletter can also be downloaded as a PDF.)
The Parish of Christ Church, Lancaster
A vibrant inclusive worshipping community
Sunday 26th September 2021
Seventeenth Sunday of Trinity
We welcome the Rev’d Canon Brenda Harding to preside at our 8:30 Eucharist this morning.
Collect
Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Readings
Numbers 11.4-6,10-16,24-29
The rabble among them had a strong craving; and the Israelites also wept again, and said, ‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we used to eat in Egypt for nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; but now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.’
Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, all at the entrances of their tents. Then the Lord became very angry, and Moses was displeased. So Moses said to the Lord, ‘Why have you treated your servant so badly? Why have I not found favour in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give birth to them, that you should say to me, “Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a sucking child”, to the land that you promised on oath to their ancestors? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they come weeping to me and say, “Give us meat to eat!” I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you are going to treat me, put me to death at once—if I have found favour in your sight—and do not let me see my misery.’
So the Lord said to Moses, ‘Gather for me seventy of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tent of meeting, and have them take their place there with you.
So Moses went out and told the people the words of the Lord; and he gathered seventy elders of the people, and placed them all around the tent. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him, and took some of the spirit that was on him and put it on the seventy elders; and when the spirit rested upon them, they prophesied. But they did not do so again.
Two men remained in the camp, one named Eldad, and the other named Medad, and the spirit rested on them; they were among those registered, but they had not gone out to the tent, and so they prophesied in the camp. And a young man ran and told Moses, ‘Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.’ And Joshua son of Nun, the assistant of Moses, one of his chosen men, said, ‘My lord Moses, stop them!’ But Moses said to him, ‘Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!’
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Psalm 19.7-14
Refrain: The commandment of the Lord is pure
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the simple.
The statutes of the Lord are right and rejoice the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure and gives light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean and endures for ever;
the judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold,
sweeter also than honey, dripping from the honeycomb.
By them also is your servant taught
and in keeping them there is great reward.
The commandment of the Lord is pure
Who can tell how often they offend?
O cleanse me from my secret faults!
Keep your servant also from presumptuous sins lest they get dominion over me;
so shall I be undefiled, and innocent of great offence.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
The commandment of the Lord is pure
James 5.13-20
Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you maybe healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.
My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark (9.38–50) Glory to you, O Lord
John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.
‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell., And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.
‘For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, O Christ
Post Communion:
Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us,
and make us continually to be given to all good works;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Prayers
Please remember in your prayers:
Those who are sick: Olive Niccolls, Youngblood McCray, Ernie Wilson, Pat Brooks, Ivy Buckley, Stephen Gardner, Ann Gilbride, Thea Harris-Ellis, Thomas Platt, Janet Ball, Dorothy Eidsforth, Ann Boss, Ella Patterson, Barry Pickering, Sitar Rose, Hadžira Mehmedovič, Heather McFadden, Maddison Crompton, Irene Forrester.
RIP: Elly
Parish Cycle of Prayer:
Those who live and work in Grimeshaw Lane and Bond Street; HMP Lancaster Farms.
Please also pray for Phoenix William and Tommy Jack, to be baptised today.
And for Olivia Evelyn, to be baptised on 10th October
Prayer and Worship this week:
Sunday 26 th September
8:30 am Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel
10:30 am Parish Eucharist with Children’s Church (in church, then uploaded to YouTube*)
12:30 pm Baptism
1:30 pm Baptism
6 pm Evening Prayer (Lady Chapel)
Wednesday
5:30 pm Meditation, followed by
6 pm Evening Prayer (Storey Chapel)
Friday 9:30 am Holy Communion – St Michael & all angels (Lady Chapel)
Saturday 9pm: Compline (YouTube*)
Sunday 3rd October
8:30 am Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel
10:30 am Parish Eucharist with Children’s Church (in church, then uploaded to YouTube*) – Harvest Sunday
6 pm Taizé Eucharist (Lady Chapel)
*The Christ Church YouTube channel is at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPoAvGj4K9085RV8zo0ZS9Q
Harvest Collection for the Night Shelter 3rd October
Tins of rice pudding and hot dogs, as well as sugar, juice, biscuits and long-life cake are especially needed for this year’s Night Shelter. Roll-on deodorants, toothpaste and toothbrushes are also needed. Donations of socks, pants, hats, gloves, t-shirts and thermals will be gratefully received.
Next Sunday: Taizé Eucharist 6 pm
The next Taizé Eucharist will be on Sunday 3rd October from 6pm until 6.45pm, with music, stillness and prayer inspired by the ecumenical Taizé Community in France. As we approach COP26, the service will also include prayers for the climate crisis. Everyone welcome!
de prayers for the climate crisis. Everyone welcome!
Living in Love and Faith – Deanery Course
Here in Lancaster and Morecambe Deanery, we are offering the Living and Love in Faith Course in-person during the autumn on the following dates:
- Tuesday evenings 7.30-9.30pm: 5, 12, 19 October, 2, 9, 16 November
Christ Church CE Primary School has kindly offered their school premises to host the course. Please see the invitation leaflets circulated with the newsletter, which also tells you how to book.
Help needed for the Deanery Course
Can you help on (all or some) of Tuesdays 5th, 12th, 19th October and 2nd, 9th and 16th November from 7.10pm at Christ Church Primary School? We need a couple of people to welcome and direct people around the building and car park, as well as serve refreshments – and do join the course too!
Zoom Prayer
Tuesday 5th October is the next meeting of Prayer4 – 30 minutes of prayer, at 4pm every fortnight. There’ll be a short Bible reading, some music, some stillness, and space to pray for the people and places on your heart – all from the comfort of your own sofa. Zoom details: https://zoom.us/j/8069459310?pwd=TlV6QUQ5UVdiK0p1M0Q0cE0vRXIvUT09 Meeting ID: 806 945 9310 Password: ChristChch. Dial in: 0208 080 6591 Meeting ID: 806 945 9310 Password: 310771 (Any queries see Rev Carol)
Christ Church All Together!
.. is the new monthly communion service, where all ages come all together to share in stories, songs and prayer together as a community. The next one is on the 10th October – so please invite a friend along. If you’ve any thoughts or reflections on the first one, please let Rev’d Carol know.
Children’s Church
Children’s Church continues to meet regularly during the 10:30 Eucharists on Sundays. Look forward to seeing you and your children/grandchildren there!
Giggle (or Groan) of the week – suggestions welcome!
Q. What has four eyes and a mouth?
A. The Mississippi!
Baptisms and Confirmations 2021
If you are interested in being baptised and/or confirmed, or know someone who would like to be, please let Rev’d Carol know. There will be a confirmation service with Bishop Jill on Sunday 21st November, with preparation classes beforehand. Confirmation is a public declaration of faith in Christ, and the Bishop represents the whole church in giving the gift of the Holy Spirit. It may (but not necessarily) be a time to begin receiving Holy Communion. Children may be in Year 6 or above.
Restored: Changing the story for Women.
Talking about Domestic Abuse – An introduction to how the church can make a difference. Tuesday 28th October, 7.30pm at Lancaster Methodist Church on Scotforth Road. Email sarah.h.butterworth@gmail.com for more info.
Pray and fast for the climate
Please join in praying for climate justice and climate action ahead of CoP26 in Glasgow in November. A global movement of Christians is praying and fasting on the first Sunday of each month for climate justice. We hope to hold a vigil here sometime in October, ahead of the Glasgow summit. You can find out more at https://prayandfastfortheclimate.org.uk
Christ Church: 70 trees for the Treebilee
The Eco-Group are encouraging each of us to sponsor or plant a tree as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. You can either arrange your own sponsorship, through organisations such as the National Trust or Woodland Trust: for £5 per tree https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/plant-a-tree; or £6 https://www.treesforcities.org/get-involved/donate. Or become a member of the Woodland Trust, which will count as five trees or buy membership as gifts. If you prefer to give through Church, please give £3 to the Eco-Group collection, who will then arrange for trees to be planted in the National Forest. https://www.nationalforest.org/donate
There will be a display at the back of church to show how many trees have been planted in the name of Christ Church – so if you make your own arrangements, please add your name to it!
Next Recycling Sunday – 3rd October
Please bring your blister packs, used dental products (brushes, toothpaste tubes, etc) and crisp packets on Sunday, 3rd October, ready for recycling.
Co-op soft plastics recycling
Co-op stores now recycle soft plastics (in particular, bread bags, crisp packets, pasta bags, fruit & veg wrappers, pizza wrappers).
Legacies at Christ Church.
Gifts in Wills are an important part of Christian stewardship, and dedicating a gift is one way to thank God for blessings received. If you’re considering writing a Will and leaving a gift to the church, there is a lilac leaflet available near the offertory box which explains more. The PCC have recently passed a Legacy Policy to ensure that gifts are used well to support Christ Church’s mission and ministry, whilst taking into account a donor’s wishes. If you wish to speak to Rev’d Carol or Jacqueline Stamper in confidence, or for further details, please see www.churchlegacy.org.uk.
Meeting up
I’m able to meet more people in the parish again, and to get to know folks. If you’d like to go for a walk, or arrange a garden visit – it would be lovely to meet and chat, please let me know when’s convenient! Rev’d Carol.
Apple Festival Saturday 9th October 1 pm – 4 pm
Please come along to this celebration of all things applelicious. Stalls include an apple-press, the RSPB, Claver Hill, Moorlands Planters, games, scavenger hunt, bottle tombola, hot dogs, drinks, cakes to eat and buy, apple-based chutneys and other produce. Musical entertainment throughout the afternoon – and competitions for best tasting and best presented entries – and the most innovative use of an apple! Free entry!
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
PLEAS OF THE WEEK
Apple Festival – cakes, produce, bottles, help, needed
Please bring clean bottles with tops to church by Sunday 3rd October – they’ll be needed to fill with fresh-pressed juice. Please also sign up to bring cakes for refreshments and/or competition (apple-based), bottles for the tombola, etc., or if you can help on the day.
Night Shelter News – volunteers needed!
The Winter season will begin on 1st November. If you’d be interested in supporting and/or volunteering with the Shelter this winter, please contact Jan Norbury, lead co-ordinator (details on back page). There will be a briefing session for volunteers on Sunday 24th October at 12noon until 2pm in the Church Hall. A soup lunch will be provided.
Harvest Church Cleaning and Preparation
Saturday 2nd October 10am-12noon will be a cleaning morning to get Church ready for the Harvest Festival. If you are able to bring greenery and/or flowers to decorate – these would be gratefully received.
The Olive Branch Foodbank
… is in particular need of tins – including meat, fish, vegetables and pies. They have sufficient pasta and rice – but all other items, including toiletries, are also gratefully received!
Or you can give money for them to buy what is needed: https://www.the-olivebranch.org.uk/donate/
Christ Church Crafting:
… will meet next on Tuesday 12th October at 11:30am in the Hall – all welcome! Bring your own craft project, or make a pennant for the community bunting. We will be looking at creating decorations/hangings for one of the Advent Christmas trees on 4th December, so bring ideas too. Future meetings will be on the 2nd Tuesday of the month at the same time. Contact Marion Cowan for further details.
Thank you!
Thank you to all the gardeners who helped out on Thursday!
Church Repair Fund
We recently launched our Church Repair Fund to help keep our buildings in good condition so that they can continue to be used for ministry and outreach in the years to come. There are several big projects on the Porch, East Wall, and Hall, which are in need of urgent work. If you’d like more details about what is going on, please pick up a leaflet – and if you are able to make a donation, there are envelopes available. If you’re able to give of your time and talents to plan or help with some fundraising events – please keep an eye on the notices for more details!
You can also contribute online via the Give a Little website: https://givealittle.co/campaigns/1c7889a9-7ef8-4730-a84a-2d434726c909
Supporting Christ Church
If you would like to support Christ Church’s work and worship regularly, or you already do – please consider giving by Direct Debit. Christ Church is now taking part in the Parish Giving Scheme, which allows us to offer direct debit as an option. This national Scheme takes a lot of hassle out of claiming gift aid, and ensures that any donation is covered by guarantees. It also allows you to easily review how much you give depending on circumstances. There are no costs or overheads to the parish. For more information, the QR code takes you to our page on the scheme:
Online at www.parishgiving.org.uk
By telephone 0333 002 1271 Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. Postal forms available on request. For any of these methods our PGS code 030603240 ensures that your gift goes to our church.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Prayers & our Newsletter
If you, or someone you know would like to receive this newsletter, either electronically or a paper version – do let Jacqueline/Rev Carol know and we will endeavour to keep in contact with people.
We will be praying daily for all who are suffering in the current crisis. If you would like us to pray for you, or for someone you know, for any reason, please email your request to prayer@christchurchlancaster.org.uk or text the Prayer Chain on 07980 351855. Please ask the person’s permission if you’d like them included in the weekly notices.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Thought for the week
When I pray, coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t. Archbishop William Temple
Eco-Group Thought/Action for the Week
Join with people of all faiths and none, to act and pray for action to reduce the negative effects of human activity on the planet. Join environmental campaigns working hard to make a difference or sign up to https://www.prayandact4climate.org in the run up to COP26 in November.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Key contacts:
Vicar: Revd Carol Backhouse 942105 revcarolbackhouse@gmail.com
1 East Road, Lancaster, LA1 3EE
Lay Reader: Dr Pat Allen 39552 reader@christchurchlancaster.org.uk.
Churchwarden: Ms Jacqueline Stamper 64083 churchwarden@christchurchlancaster.org.uk
Parish Safeguarding Officer: Ms Jane Lippitt 07930 979503 safeguarding@christchurchlancaster.org.uk
Children, Youth & Families Coordinator: Mrs Julie Tinnion 07749 489623 children@christchurchlancaster.org.uk
Nightshelter Co-ordinator: Ms Jan Norbury 07547 717 060 coordinator.nightshelter@gmail.com
Hall Bookings: hallchristchurch@btinternet.com 07890 351855
Christ Church School Ms Emma Simpson 60955
COVID-19 – latest update from Rev’d Carol
Now that regulations on Covid precautions have changed, much advice has been issued by the government, national church and local health authorities, with each Vicar being responsible for plans and arrangements in each church building. After discussion at PCC on Wednesday 21st July, Christ Church asks that everyone continues to:
- Wear a face covering within the building, unless medically exempt
- Keep a safe distance – with some pews remaining closed to help this
- Use the Track and Trace code, or the paper sign-in sheet for each service
- Use hand gel on arriving in the building, and before receiving communion
In addition:
- – At the 1030 service, communion will now be received from the rail; please kneel or stand to receive. Afterwards, please return to your seat via the Lady Chapel – The common cup (chalice) may be shared *if desired*. If you wish to receive, please remain at the rail after receiving the bread. The person administering will wear a face covering, and please *do not* touch the chalice with your hands, and *do not* intinct your wafer (dip it into the wine). The chalice will be wiped with an alcohol sanitiser between use.
- Congregational singing will restart at the Sunday 10:30 Eucharist, with other services remaining said.
- The 10:30 Service will continue to be recorded for those who wish to watch and worship at home.
- Face-to-face gatherings can resume, outdoors where possible and with ventilation/face coverings in situ where not.
As a church community, we are called to act for the benefit of all, and especially the most vulnerable. We wish our church community to be safe, accepting and welcoming for all, regardless of health, or vaccine-status. Although regulations have lifted, I strongly encourage everyone to continue to take precautions and continue the good habits we have got into in recent months.
All of us will feel differently about the lifting of regulations – some ecstatic, some anxious. I’m more than happy to listen and hear your own views on this, and talk through what will help you feel safe and continue to be part of the church in coming weeks. There is a range of quieter and busier services at Christ Church so you may also wish to consider something different to your usual pattern. Please be mindful that some may not be as ready to be as close-up as others, and that is absolutely fine, so please don’t be afraid to say, ‘Please may I have space?’ if you need it, knowing that no questions will be asked.